


I'm sorry but I have to do this.... We do it together,

by screamingwriter



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Angst, Domestic, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Time Skips, deran and adrian are sorta parents, multiple parts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-30 22:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19412347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamingwriter/pseuds/screamingwriter
Summary: What if the Cody brothers made a deal about who would step up if something ever happened to either one of them? What if Craig and Deran made each other promise to take care of each other's loved ones if anything ever happened?It was always a 'what if' and never a real situation for Deran... until it was.He and Adrian had it pretty rocky after finding out about the feds but it was resolved and they were trying to grow stronger... so when Craig suddenly passes and leaves his six-month-old baby girl behind... Deran has no choice but to honor his older brother and the promise they made.A story about Adrian and Derans journey as parents.





	I'm sorry but I have to do this.... We do it together,

**Author's Note:**

> Getting into D and A around this time has been pretty crappy... I spend most of my time worrying about whats gonna happen to my babies when everyone finds out about Adrian and the feds. 
> 
> So i figured i should put my heart into a fic.... I got the idea when I watched the part where Pope made Deran promise to look after Lena if anything happened to him. 
> 
> Enjoy!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How exactly did Deran and Adrian end up with the life they were currently living? How on earth did these two end up with a baby that wasn't their own? 
> 
> How did the Dolan-Cody family come to be? 
> 
> It all started at the dinner table after a year of tense times--the death of Smurf, the FEDS circling Adrian and the birth of Craigs daughter.

Times had been tense---it seemed like a lot of people were sniffing around and there was talk to people who could ruin all of their lives.

Some had aimed to bring them to prison for the rest of their lives. 

Some had been people the Cody family pissed off in their lives. 

And some had even been whatever cruel person or thing was out there deciding their lives. 

It was a conversation that Deran wished to have while drunk off his ass. But instead, they'd had it one morning with the sun shining and over breakfast... Smurf and Baz were already gone and the boys only had each other left and they were closer than ever. 

" _I--uh think we should talk about something important."_

Deran only nodded, half thinking that whatever Craig deemed important was anything but actually important. Even as a grown man with a kid and wife, he still acted and took things breezy and like nothing was a big deal.

Which was why Deran had to ask him to repeat what he'd just said because surely he hadn't heard him right. 

_"If anything ever happens to me or Renn--or the both of us... I need you to promise that you'll take care of Shay."_

The whole breakfast table went silent and Derans fork clattered while J sucked in a breath and Pope--simply glanced down and looked sad.

" _Dude-"_

_"Nah man, i'm serious--promise me that you'll take care of Shay."_

Deran swallowed and narrowed his eyes, his body felt a bit warm and he almost felt a surge of anger go through him--he didn't want to have to think about Craig not being around to raise and take care of his own daughter. He wished that he'd been able to control his anger that night, but he'd been so pissed that Craig could even imagine not being here--for him or his family. 

They got into it and Craig threw in his face that Deran didn't give Pope this much shit when he'd asked him to take care of Lena if anything happened to him, which yeah, was true but only because Pope had already left him. Prison, he remembered his older bat shit crazy brother being gone for the bank and after that, he could deal with the possibility of him going away again. 

Pope already broke his heart and there was no fucking way that Deran could imagine Craig being gone. 

When he got home that night, to Adrian, their house--he almost missed the bed when he tried to sit. 

Adrian sat up and flicked on the lamp on his side, he squinted his eyes at Deran and sleepily asked, "Are you drunk?" 

God Deran wished he was.. 

But nope, he was as sober as one could be. So he peeked his head up and pushed his hair back before mumbling, "Me and Craig got into some shit." Deran could feel the bed shifting under him as his boyfriend itched closer and reached for him, he let Adrian pull him properly on the bed and in the spot next to him. He let out a content noise when he felt the familiar feeling of Adrians fingers against his scalp. 

"What happened?" 

Deran turned his head and buried his face into Adrians chest, nuzzling his nose against the skin and mumbled something... something that Adrian hadn't heard and it seriously took everything to repeat it but he did. Pulling out of the warm embrace, he glanced up and met those eyes that he loved so much, he said clearly, "If anything happens to Craig and Renn--I'm the one who has to take Shay." 

Adrians eyes narrowed and he had the cute confused expression to his face that Deran loved and teased so much, his fingers stopped moving and lay in Derans blonde hair. "You and Craig got into shit about that?" Deran simply nodded and went back to nuzzling closer to Adrians chest who by the way, decided that now would be the time to push Deran off and force them into a seating position. 

"You're this upset because your brother--asked you to take care of his kid--your niece if something were to ever happen to him and Renn?" 

Deran hated the way Adrian asked the question like it didn't even matter that Craig, the dumbass he is was planning ahead for the days where he wouldn't be around. Pressing his lips tightly together, Deran encircled his arms around Adrians waist and a bit roughly pulled them down to the bed again. He felt Adrian hold him back and the mans chin pressing against his forehead. 

"You don't gotta worry about it, D." Adrian whispered as Deran loosened his hold and instead kept nuzzling his nose against Adrian's chest, something he often did when upset... He pressed some kisses into his hair and said softly, "It's just Craig making sure that everything's taken care--he's always thought about the future and shit--like remember his obsession with the fact that he was probably going to hell if it existed?" 

Deran said nothing. 

"He went out of his way to do little things that could maybe add up over time to make up for some of the shit he did... this is him trying to do that with his kid," Adrian reassured, he entangled from Derans limbs and worked on undressing the upset man, he pulled him into bed and held him.

Deran let him do so and the two laid there until Deran stopped nuzzling his nose and mumbled ever so softly, "I can't picture not having him here--I would rather.." 

"Listen to me, he's not going anywhere and you don't gotta go down that road D. Craigs gonna be here annoying the fuck out of you and barging into our house like he damn well owns the place for a long ass time." 

Deran smiled and swallowed, he titled his head back so that he could look up at Adrian, who had a cute little smile and sleepy face. He ran his eyes over his face before leaning up and pressing a kiss against his mouth.

"You know I love you right?" Deran whispered, he didn't let Adrian answer, he leaned in again and pressed another kiss against his lips, this time more intense and this time his hand crept up to his jaw. He was right, he was so right... Craig wasn't going anywhere and Deran wouldn't ever have to go through with the promise he made tonight. 

That was until a few weeks later when it turned out that maybe he would have to follow through with the deal he'd made tonight. 

\------ 

Life wasn't fair and when Deran and Adrian thought about how this specific part of their lives came to be--how they got to be the family they were--it made both men feel a pang and they could only hold Shay close and Deran had to remind himself that he was honoring Craigs wishes and well Adrian--he was sticking by his side through it all regardless. 

This was how their little family came to be.


End file.
